Her Master's Reckoning

by Lily White

  “Stay on her then. An unfortunate accident in a country that doesn’t give a fuck is the only hope we have of digging our way out of this mess.”

  Nodding, the ends of Paul’s jet black hair slid over his shoulder, the thickness of it pulled back and tied at his nape. Curious now, he relaxed in his seat, crossed an ankle over a knee and asked, “Has Christopher been brought under control?”

  Catching my eyes at the question, mild amusement was obvious in Anthony’s expression. “Yes, Aiden. How has that been going?”

  “Extraordinarily well, actually. Thanks for asking. I’m sure Rebecca will be able to present him in the coming weeks.”

  Anthony shook his head, Paul staring at me slack jawed. “Just two days ago, he was no better than a rabid animal. And you’re telling me she’s managed to make headway so soon?”

  Pride glimmered in my eyes. “I’ve always said Rebecca is submissive and Master both. Don’t be so surprised she’s proven it.”

  “I have to see this for myself. Is it possible for us to go back and see her now?”

  Lifting a finger to ask for a moment, I grabbed my phone from my desk, thumbing it on then scrolling through the multiple camera views. Every single camera in the Courtesan wing was offline, most likely broken to pieces on the floors. “Unfortunately, I don’t think today is a good day for visiting. Rebecca had somewhat of a rough morning. You know how crucial the first few days can be. I’d hate to chance disrupting that.”

  In truth, I wasn’t sure she wouldn’t attempt to bash my head in with the same cane she’d used to disable the cameras. “While you’re here,” I said, tossing the phone back onto my desk, “I’d like to pick your brain. What do you know of Christopher’s first Master, Jake Gillian?”

  Something about Rebecca’s Courtesan wasn’t sitting right with me. Several things, really, but mostly his astonishing change of behavior. Paul wasn’t wrong to be surprised at the sudden shift in so short a time, not when Chris had been practically nonverbal only two days earlier. There were several explanations that could be made, many of which I’d considered. However knowledge was power, and knowing more of the man who initially trained the Courtesan I assumed was playing every one of us was critical to placing every piece of this most aggravating puzzle.

  “I’m not the best person to ask,” Paul admitted, his gaze drifting between Anthony and me both. “In his later years, Jake was somewhat of a recluse. Many of the Society members he knew well had already passed from old age or retired. The newer generation, if you can call it that, didn’t have much to do with him beyond transactions. From what I know, Jake hadn’t sold a Courtesan in over five years. Most of us believed he had retired without making it official. I know he kept Courtesans. Besides Christopher, there were three women, two of whom were of advanced age.”

  Interesting. “And what happened to those women?” If Paul couldn’t give me the information I wanted, perhaps the women could.

  “Sold to two separate Owners, I believe. I can verify and give you their names.”

  “Please do.”

  Paul’s expression changed, a thought coming to him that had him shifting in his seat so he could face Anthony fully. “Didn’t you know Jake? I seem to recall the two of you speaking for a long time several years ago at a presentation. Ten years at least.”

  “I did.” Careful not to meet my gaze, Anthony picked at a piece of nonexistent lint on his pants. “Jake was a good Master within the group, he kept his personal Courtesans in good health and tended to spoil them, much like me. Many of our methods were alike, so I found in him a contemporary with whom I could easily compare notes, so to say.”

  “How then,” I asked, finally drawing Anthony’s attention my way, “did he end up with a male Courtesan with scars all over his body?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine.”

  He wasn’t telling us everything. I knew Anthony well enough to know when he was being misleading. It wasn’t that he was outright lying, but there was some small piece of information he hadn’t yet divulged. “When was the last time you spoke to Jake?”

  “A month or so before he died.” With the calm, cool mannerism Anthony had perfected over his years within our group, he answered my question without the smallest hint that he wasn’t completely forthcoming. However, that wasn’t an issue I’d bring up in front of Paul. Anthony and I had plenty of time to discuss it later.

  Turning to Paul, I reminded him, “Let me know the names of the Owners who took Jake’s other Courtesans. I’m interested in discovering more about Christopher’s training.”

  Inclining his head, Paul stood from his seat. “I should go. With all the issues surrounding Adam’s mistake, I’ve had little time to tend to my own matters.”

  Anthony and I both stood to walk him out, our conversation light as we strolled through the halls in route to the foyer. Reaching it, Paul turned to shake my hand. “I’m looking forward to the presentation by your Courtesan. It’s quite impressive she’s managed to tame Christopher in such a short time.”

  “Actually,” a feminine voice called out from a far hall, the click of heels approaching with a determined pace, “I’d like to have a word with all of you about that.”

  I wasn’t sure whether to run or be amused she’d caught us. But then, running wasn’t my style. To do so would be an admission of fear of Rebecca. I didn’t fear the woman I’d trained for five years. In truth, I looked forward to the next time we went toe to toe. I simply preferred the moment be in private so there wasn’t an audience when I rose to the occasion.

  She was breathtaking in the clothes I’d chosen for her that morning. The black leather of her skirt hugged all the curves I’d explored this morning. The red crimson of her shirt like blood over cream skin, unbuttoned to reveal the perfect globes of her full breasts. Shapely legs were a strong foundation, still moving with a predatory grace until she stopped in place several feet from me, her green eyes targeting me with controlled rage. “You and I need to have a conversation.”

  Such vehemence in her tone, so cold that a better man would have respected the chill. I was not a better man. “Careful, Pet,” a warning wrapped in silk, “you may be the dominant presence when training your Courtesan, but not with me. Don’t make that mistake.”

  Green eyes glimmering with fury, she turned her attention to Anthony and Paul, the length of her body straightening into a mesmerizing, strong posture. Truly glorious, my Pet, whether like this or crawling.

  “I assumed I had a right to train my Courtesan without interference, that any punishments should come from me. Was I wrong to believe that?”

  Answering her, Anthony was cautious in his response. Rebecca hadn’t been named a Master within the Society, but for this experiment he’d somehow cornered us into, she deserved the chance to prove herself. Still, she was my Courtesan, a title nobody could strip away unless I chose to relinquish it. As such, he couldn’t assist her in overstepping my control, couldn’t guarantee her the same rights as us when it came to disputes. “In a situation wherein two Masters do not see eye to eye regarding a Courtesan, it’s typically handled privately between themselves.”

  “And if that doesn’t work?” she asked, refusing to back down despite my warning.

  “Then, generally, the issue will be brought up to the Society as a whole. Although, in this particular case, I’m not sure you have that ability. You haven’t been named a Master, Rebecca. If anything, you are an apprentice. As such, you’re under the oversight of another Master.”

  Shrewdly, Rebecca glanced between the three of us, not easily cowed by Anthony’s response. “Does it matter which Master oversees me? Can I choose who takes control in case of an error on my part?”

  Paul interjected, his eyes catching mine for a brief moment before returning to the woman who managed to remain still despite the violence I could see so plainly beneath her skin. “Perhaps you should have this conversation with Anthony and Aiden in private. It’s not my place to be a part of this.”
>
  Thankful that he’d been intelligent enough to extricate himself from what could be a volatile argument, I nodded to Paul, shook his hand and waited quietly while he left the house. Anthony was the first to speak once the three of us were alone.

  “Unfortunately, Rebecca, I don’t think it’s your place to choose. This situation is atypical; a Courtesan has never been permitted to train another in the history of the Society. We don’t have rules in place for such an event.”

  I watched her fingers curl into her palm, half moon circles left as an impression in her skin from her nails when she flexed that same hand to cross her arms over her chest. The position only lifted her breasts higher, my focus on a body that called to me in every way imaginable.

  “Did you see what he did to Christopher? How he almost killed him?”

  “I did not,” Anthony answered, his gaze shifting to me. “Aiden, would you be willing to explain your decision to interfere?”

  “She already knows.”

  Her eyes met mine, some unspoken thought flashing behind them. “Because he drew blood? Did you ever stop to think that I may have enjoyed it?”

  I allowed silence to fall, patiently biding my time before giving my response. So many layers created this mess of a situation, so many intricate knots tied the rope binding my hands while also binding hers.

  “Regardless of what you enjoyed, a Master can never allow a Courtesan to disrespect them in such a manner. Unless you are choosing to keep Chris as your personal pet, you have a duty to teach him proper behavior. His next Owner might not appreciate being threatened with a razor.”

  “On that, I must agree,” Anthony commented, his tone professional.

  Ignoring him, I continued to stare down a woman that affected me without trying, who had the uncanny ability to draw out my violence. “If you have a need for blood play, Pet, I’m here to provide it. But I can not condone you allowing your Courtesan to disrespect you as he did. Once he is sold, my reputation is on the line as much as yours.”

  Rebecca would find a way around this argument, I had no doubt about that. She was a rebellious spirit, a woman skilled in manipulating rules to get what she wanted. “Fine. I won’t let him do that again. But I will insist you stop spying.”

  My lips curled at the corners. “I discovered you’ve already taken care of that problem.”

  “Yes,” she grinned, “I did. Would you like the broken pieces of your cameras or shall I just toss them in the trash?”

  She had no idea how close I was to punishing her right there in the foyer, not because she’d angered me, but because this side of her always turned me on.

  “If it’s okay with you, Aiden, I’d be happy to keep an eye on her.”

  Breaking Rebecca’s stare, I turned to my friend. “That’s fine with me. But my Courtesan can expect daily checks for marks on her body, and if I find so much as a bruise the size of a freckle, I’m stepping in to defend what’s mine.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  REBECCA

  Aiden walked away after announcing his intention to perform daily checks of my body, his ground-eating stride powerful and fluid. Despite my anger at him, I couldn’t help but admire his body. Tall, broad, controlled in such a way it drove me absolutely mad; Aiden was the epitome of masculine strength, a man that could steal the breath from my lungs simply by occupying the same space.

  “What did he do?” Anthony asked with a soft voice once Aiden was out of earshot. “Was there permanent damage?”

  “Unless you count a psychological beat down as permanent, no, nothing that will last. His initials weren’t so deep in the skin that they’ll scar.”

  Anthony blinked, opened his mouth to ask but then decided against it. “I’m sorry I couldn’t come to your defense more than I did, Rebecca, but you’re walking a fine line. You have the right to train your Courtesan without interference, but Aiden cannot stand back and allow proper etiquette to be ignored. It would be a reflection of Aiden’s reputation if your Courtesan were sold and used a razor against an Owner. It’s our job as Masters to prevent that. The Owners expect full obedience.”

  “Anthony -“

  “No,” he interrupted the argument before I could make it. “In this, I’m right. I get why you did what you did, and I understand wearing the mask of an abused woman to gain your Courtesan’s trust, but the true test of a Master is not how the Courtesan acts while with the Master, but how they act when sold. His next Owner won’t wear the same mask and will expect more.”

  I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from arguing, only because I knew he was right and anything I said now in defense of myself or Greyson would be empty words intended to hurt. Anthony didn’t deserve my anger, Aiden did.

  Of course a man who’d trained countless Courtesans would be able to read my emotions so easily in my expression. His hand touched my shoulder, fingertips tightening down when I attempted to pull away.

  “I know you’re looking at this as a power play by Aiden. And in a way it is. But, I see something else you may have missed just beneath the surface of his actions. I won’t tell you what I see, but I will tell you to truly look at the man you call Master. See him, Rebecca, for who he is, for what he’s doing.”

  It was as if these two were sharing the same script. Just this morning, Aiden had told me to see him. I wondered if it was team effort on their part, or if I was missing something obvious.

  “I won’t let him win, Anthony. I can’t. Not now. Not when he always wins.”

  Patience was always one of Anthony’s best virtues, the look he was giving me now as serene as gently rolling fog in the early morning, as warm as a sunny day with no clouds. “Who says he’s winning? You have him where you need him. It’s your next actions that determine whether you’ll get what you need out of this. Play the game well, Rebecca, by playing it smart.”

  Finally shrugging away from his touch, I dropped my arms to my sides feeling deflated and defeated. “What I want is for us to be out of this life. For him to make the same decision as you to walk away. For me to be enough.”

  Such painful truth, it was a surprise even for me to hear it. The desire had always been there. For five long years, it lingered. Speaking it had brought the realization to the front of my mind and now that it was out, I wasn’t sure it could be stuffed back in and locked away.

  A sympathetic smile in response. “I knew the two of you were drifting apart in recent months. Aiden never said it outright, but I knew. I didn’t have to be in the same country to see it.”

  Fucking tears. I was considering have the ducts removed, just so I could be as seemingly cold as the man who owned me.

  Dropping his voice so it was a gentle caress, Anthony mentioned, “Isn’t it interesting that when you begin rebelling again, and when you attempt to establish yourself as an equal, Aiden’s attentions return?”

  My eyes met his, confusion wrinkling my brow.

  “Don’t become complacent, Rebecca. If that’s what Aiden had wanted in a Courtesan, he would have kept many of the ones that came before and after you. Think about why you were special.”

  Patting me on the shoulder, Anthony walked away, dignity and refinement in another powerful stride. I often wondered how the two men were friends. On the outside, they were complete opposites.

  As for me, there wasn’t much I could do with my day but think; Aiden had seen to that. Greyson was far too exhausted to stay awake, his body so sore from having held the one position for hours on end, that it had been painful for him to stretch out over the mattress.

  I roamed the halls with the whispers of Anthony’s comments in my head, the message he was trying to give me without saying it word for word.

  After what felt like an hour, I finally understood at least one of the truths he was trying to tell me: Aiden hadn’t chosen a prim and proper Courtesan to keep, he’d chosen one that didn’t know how to stop rebelling, regardless of his threat of punishment and discipline.

  He hadn’t chosen that, but
he’d ended up with it. At least in the last several months.

  Maybe that’s what Aiden had meant when he said he hadn’t seen me in a long time. Maybe that’s what he meant when he claimed I hadn’t seen him.

  In my wandering, I’d somehow ended up outside Aiden’s office door, and although he didn’t make a sound I could sense he was inside. And while I should have walked away just to let him stew in the knowledge I was pissed off at him, I pressed on the handle instead, my heels the only sound as I walked inside.

  Aiden stood at the window with his back to me, gaze cast toward the willow tree and the lake beyond.

  “How damaged are my cameras?” he asked without bothering to turn, his broad shoulders drawing my eye in the way they were held so he could clasp his hands behind his back. So strong, those shoulders, so dominate the man.

  “How did you know it was me?”

  “Same way you always know I’m watching.”

  “You won’t be watching now, will you?”

  He turned then, just enough to catch me in his peripheral view. “I have my ways, Pet. Don’t test me. I’ve been at this game a lot longer than you.”

  We stared at each other for a quiet moment, my heart fluttering like a trapped bird.

  “Shouldn’t you be with your Courtesan?”

  “He’s sleeping.”

  Aiden laughed, the sound soft and dark. “You’ll need to build his stamina if you ever hope to be able to use him properly. A woman like you requires more than what that pup can give.”

  My body responded to the taunt - to him. Memories rolling through my mind of the first weeks he had me, the nights and days that became one when he refused to let me sleep. I’d thought the act cruel at the time, a punishing schedule, but now I was realizing that he’d refused to sleep as well.

  Here I was fighting against a man who was an expert at the very task I was undertaking, and instead of using him for the knowledge he could give me, I was fighting against him tooth and nail.

  “Show me.”